Semiaero dirigible



' 2 Sheets-Sheet l J. SMlTH SEMIAEBO IDIRIGIBM;

Filed Dec. 2. 1'924 June k30. 1.925-

Sw wlw June 30, 1925. 1,544,190

J.' C. SMITH SEMIAERO DIRIGIBLE Filed DSG, 2, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IzA Mogwai/.5'.

Patented .June 3Q, 1225.

'unirse JOHN C. SMITH, 0F LS MIGELES, CALFORNEA.

smaranao DIRIGELE.

Application led December 2, 1924. Serial No. 753,434.

To f/ZZ lwwm it may concern.'

lle it known that I, JOHN C. SMITH, a citizen oi the United States, residing at Los A ngeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Semiaero Dirigiblcs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to aircraft.

The object of this invention is to provide a combined aeroplane and dirigible balloon, hereinafter referred to as a semi-aero dirigible, the dirigible balloon being of siifiicient size and buoyancy to practically overcome the weio'ht of the aeroplane.

Another object of the invention is to provide an aircraft of a character referred to having the safety of a dirigible balloon and approximate speed of an aeroplane.

Another object is to provide an aircraft of the character referred to capable ot ascending or descending at a very steep angle, moving at any desired speed and which will descend very gradually even though the power plant of the aeroplane forming part of the aircraft should stop ory break down.

These objects are attained by the disclosure hereinafter set forth bythe following description of the accompanying drawings, the novel features thereof being particularly pointed out in the appended claims,

in whic Figure 1 is a side elevation of a semi-aero dirigible.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an aeroplane forming part ot the invention, the dirigible balloon being removed.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the semi-aero dirigible.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Ei 1.

Regerring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 10 designates an aeroplane, preferably of the tractor type, having planes 11 and 12. a fuselage 13, motor 14 and propeller 15. The aeroplane is provided with a landing gear 16 which may be of any standard construction, mounted near the forward end of the aeroplane. A landing gear 17 of special construction is mounted on the rear portion of the aeroplane and consists ot a frame 18 and a wheel 19 pivot-ally connected to the frame 18 by means of a yoke 2l). The aeroplane may be of considerable size., having a passenger compartment 21, the top of which is on a level with the top of the plane 1l.

A pilots seat 22 and a mechianics seat 23 u are located in the fuselage 13. Sleeping quarters 24 and storage compartments 25 are situated in the rear end of the aeroplane, access being had to the interior by means of av door 26. The direction of flight, that is to the right or left, is controlled by the usual rudder, generally designated at R, which may be controlled in the usual manner by connections not shown.

Wings 27 and 28 are pivotally connected to the plane'll and are adapted to cause the semi-aero dirigible to ascendor descend by tilting.A beam generally designated at l has a wide portion 3l) and is".` rigidly secured to the plane 11 and passenger compartment 21 by means of bolts or other suitable fastening means indicated at 29. The beam l has upwardly turned ends 31 and .32 to which are rigidly connected members 533 and 34.

A. substantially cigar-shaped dirigible balloon (constructed of any suitable airtight material) is designated at D. The dirigible balloon is divided into three compartments 215, 36 and 37, these compartments being formed by longitudinal partitions 38 and 39, each compartment being provided with a safety valve l() and an inlating tube 41 provided with a check valve 42. The Vend portions 43 ot the dirigible balloon are provided with caps 44 formed of light metal such as aluminum, which are adapted to prevent the ends from collapsing.

A net N covers the dirigible balloon. The forward portion of the net is connected to the upwardly turned end 31 of the beam B by a series oic guy ropes 45, the central portion of the net being connected to the wide portion 30 of the beam B by a series of guy ropes i116 and the rear portion ot' the net being connected to the upwardly turned end 252 ot the beam B by a series of guy ropes 47. A series of guy ropes 48 is connected to the l-iorward end ot the not and member The rear end of the net is connected to the member 34 by series of guy ropes 49.

It will be noted that the aeroplane and dirigible balloon maintain the same relative positions when assuming an anglev as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4, these relative positions being maintained by the guy ropes 4G which are connected to the outer edges of the wide portion 30 of the beam il, and being tangent to the curvature of the dirigible balloon D.

aeroplane,

weight of the aeroplane is practically eliminated by the buoyancymfl the dirigible balloon. Due to the high factor of, safety afforded by the dirigible balloon, the semiaerodirigible may be operated extensivel for pleasure trips by amateur pilots, as litt e or no danger would result in the event that the motor should stop or one of the compartments of the dirigible balloon should collapsey it being understood that the remaining compartments have sufficient buoyancy to prevent sudden descent.

Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

l. An aircraft comprising a dirigible bnlloon and an aeroplane, said dirigil'ile balloon having compartments tliereln, a net covering' said dirigible balloogny said aeroplane' having. an upper and 'newer plane, wings pivoted to the rear end .of said upper pla-ne` a beam having upwardly turned ends secured to said upper plane, and guy ropes connecting said net to said beam.

2. An aircraft comprising a substantially cigar-shaped balloon and a. tractor type said balloon having a plurality of longitudinal con'ipartments, caps nounted on each end 'of said balloon, a net covering said balloon, said aeroplane liavmg a fuselage, upper and lower planes adjacent said fuselage, a passenger compartment mounted vhaving upturned ends secured to the upper )lane of said biplane aeroplane, a net covermg said substantially cigar-shaped balloon and a series of and guy ropes connecting said net lsurroundi lng said substantially cigar-shapod'balloon to saidbeams secured to the upper plane of saidbiplane aeroplane.

4. An aircraft comprising a substantially 'cigar-shaped balloon and an aeroplane having upper and lower planes, said aeroplane being set at right angles to said substantially cigar-shaped balloon, Va beam having upturned net formed of horizontal and vertical strands surrounding said cigar-shaped balloon, a plurality of guy ropes extending upwardly from said beam and connected to said net at the intersecting points of the vertical and horizontal strands of said net, rope receiving members being secured tothe extremities of the upturned ends of said beams and a plurality'ofl guy ropes connecting the ends of said net tosaid rope receiving member.

ln testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

Jol-1N o. SMITH.

ends secured to said upper plane, a 

